Disclaimer – I don't own the characters from the Harry Potter novels, JKR does.

Chapter 7

Classes were going good. The study group had started eating at each others tables even during the week, particularly if one of them had a question they needed help with. Most of the school had noticed but very few cared.

Late Thursday night, Harry felt Tracy and Daphne's charms go off. Someone was attacking them. Harry jumped up and ran toward a shadow. He shouted to his girls, "Slytherin emergency." He phased to where Daphne was. It seems that several boys chiefly led by Draco Malfoy had grabbed the girls on the way to their room and forced them into the boys' dorm. They were currently naked and being fondled while the boys were trying to get them to touch their bits.

Harry's anger burst through the barrier to his cat animagus form. He turned into a huge blend cat. The large tiger sized cat roared loudly. Everyone looked and saw a large, black, tiger-sized feline. The cat faded into invisibility. Malfoy was the first target. The naked boy was hit in the chest. He flew across the room from the force. Each of the other boys was knocked down. They were forced into one corner of the room. If any of them moved from there they heard fierce growls until they scampered back.

The girls lay on the floor where they fell. They were both feeling really bad. Daphne felt the cat rub against her purring. She started to feel a little bit better. Then the cat moved to Tracy and did the same. The cat became visible and pushed the girls together. A blanket was dragged off one of the beds and the cat covered them with it.

Malfoy got brave now that he had a target. He dove for his wand to hex the cat. The cat was faster. It pounced on the boy and rolled him over. It placed it's paw so that the claws made a circle above his bits. It then extended them and pressed. The circle of claw marks when the cat let go made it very clear that the next person to do something stupid would lose what they valued most.

Just then, Madam Pomfrey and Headmistress McGonagall showed up. They were closely followed by Hermione and Tonks. They stopped when they saw a black cat larger than a tiger sitting in the middle of the room. They noticed the naked boys in one end of the room and the two girls huddled under a blanket near the cat.

The new arrivals didn't know what to think until the cat got up, walked behind Madam Pomfrey and pushed her toward the girls. People started moving again. The cat got out of the way while the two teachers talked to the girls first. Hermione looked at the cat closely then turned to Tonks and pointed at her own eye. Startled Tonks looked at the cat. It stared back with big green eyes then it winked.

The two girls helped by collecting all the wands. The cat walked out of the room, then disappeared. A few minutes Amelia Bones appeared holding onto the rough of the shadow wolf. She let go and it turned into Harry.

While the adults were talking, Harry pulled all the girls together. "I am so sorry Daphne and Tracy. I came as fast as I could. You never called me for help. The amulets activated from your panicked feelings."

Tracy turned to him, "The cat was you wasn't it?"

He nodded, "I didn't want to embarrass you worse by turning into a boy while you were naked. I knew the teachers needed to see you that way so I tried to comfort you as the cat. They did this shit to try and get revenge against me. You were hurt because you were my friends. I'm sorry I failed you." He looked at the ground crushed.

Daphne looked ay Hermione and Tonks, "He doesn't realize does he?" They shook their heads. She turned to Harry, "Potter," She said forcefully while he flinched, "You stupid boy. You just did something that no one else could have done and apologized for it. You care about a pair of girls from outside your house. They didn't even treat you nicely to start and you still made friends with them. If those two didn't care for you so strongly, Tracy and I would be fighting over you." She turned, "And you two, if you even think about treating him less than special, we will take you out so we can do a better job."

Harry was soon in a four-way hug, which was definitely intimidating because they were all bigger than he was. He wished that average sized boys the age he was were not shorter than average sized girls were. Yes girls would stop growing taller in a year or three and he would grow for eight more, but for right now, they were intimidating.

The other members of the study group soon found out that the amulets Harry made really worked. All the members including Neville expressed thanks at the fact Harry cared about them.

At breakfast the morning after the incident, the school noticed that the Slytherin table was again missing members. The count was now up to twenty-one for the number expelled this year due to unacceptable behavior or worse. Some of the younger boys might be allowed to repeat their year the following year, but the older ones expelled due to the train incident had been permanently removed from the school. Slytherin points were at an all time low for this time of the year.

Finals were approaching. All of the students that cared about their grades were feeling a bit stressed, the fifth and seventh year students especially.

Hermione had been doing fine until Dora (Harry and Hermione were allowed to use that now) mentioned that her finals were in a week then she would have some time off before the end of the year. Hermione started to panic.

She started to make a schedule for them that would require them to have twenty-eight hours a day plus time to eat and sleep.

On the third morning of the crazy schedule, the other two confronted her.

Harry started, "Mione, Do you really want to make both of us hate you?"

She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

Dora continued, "You know the material. You and Harry finished the last assignment Monday. I'm confident with what I have learned this year with Harry's help. Trust yourself. Your memory won't fail you unless you panic."

"But guys this will affect our future. What kind of jobs we can get and everything."

Harry wandlessly hit her with a cheering charm. "Now listen, we all will go back to our normal schedule. We have one final to take today. The teachers have been wonderful. I will keep hitting you with cheering charms until you calm down. If I need to keep you cheered and body bound between meals and tests I will. Trust your wonderful memory. Trust us. You are ready. You may not ace everything but I am sure you will get outstandings. After our test today, I am going to give you a massage. Dora will make sure I don't touch what I'm not supposed to. As an incentive, if you stay calm I will give you another each evening before bed."

Dora asked, "Do I get one too?"

"Sure if you want one in the evenings after your tests. Same rule goes for you too. If you flake out, you don't get one."

Hermione pulled Dora to the side after the charm wore off. "Dora what is a massage?"

"It is where one person rubs another person's back, neck and other knotted or stressed muscles. My dad gave my mom a gift certificate for one as a birthday gift. She loved it. After words so did he because she pounced on him and they disappeared for a while. If he can give even a half-decent massage, we need to keep it to ourselves. We definitely don't want to share that information with the other girls in this school."

That evening after the test, Harry had Hermione put on her one-piece swimsuit. He then massaged her back, neck, arms and legs. She melted into sleep when he was done. Dora wished she had a test so she could have one.

The next morning Hermione looked chipper and happy. Harry asked, "Now don't you feel better?"

She gave him a full kiss on the mouth, which took him by surprise. "I feel wonderful. I plan on holding you to your promise."

"Remember you only get another if you stay calm. Go all frantic on me and I won't do it again."

"Yes sir."

Finals week went well. Both girls received several massages. OWL tests were coming and Hermione almost panicked. The reminder that she wouldn't get another massage was a good threat.

Our two first years took every OWL offered. Hermione was certain she passed everything. Harry just grinned when he was asked how he did.

During their last few days, our three were sad again. They would be apart mostly for months. Each of them had developed deep feelings for the others. Possibly not romantic feelings but deep none the less.

Sirius had been working with the house elves and the goblins to find a good choice for a place to live. His old family mansion was dark and gloomy and he really never wanted to see again.

He found an eight-bedroom house that had two master suites. There were plenty of bathrooms as well as a potions lab.

He headed to Gringott's to negotiate purchase. "Mr. Brandirk, may your enemies shed their blood at your feet. Could I make an appointment to see one of your real estate specialists?"

"Minister Black, may the pain of your enemies bring you joy. I will let one know immediately. How is Lord Potter-Black doing?" He waved his fingers over certain runes on his desk.

"He is doing fine. I understand he is wanting to do some enchanting this summer and maybe make a magical staff. Of course I recommended he contact the goblins about getting the forged weapons here prior to enchantments however some purebloods at his school told him that dwarf made weapons were the best in the world."

The little goblin was sweating, "It is true that the dwarves do make good weapons, but it is easier for him to contact us than the dwarves."

"I don't know. The goblins seem to think that all goblin forged weapons belong to the goblins after the original purchaser has died. He is interested in making things he can leave to his heirs."

"I will bring that up to my supervisor Mr. Black. Ah, I see that Property Manager Sharp Knife is here. He can help you with your property needs."

The new goblin said, "Minister Black if you would follow me please."

Once they were in a conference room, Sharp Knife asked, "Minister what can we do for you today?"

"Property Manager, I have been looking for some place I could buy and fix up to live with my godson. One of our elves found a house that looks like it would work." He exchanged location information and the goblin looked through his records.

"Minister, I am sorry to say that property is owned by a minor. Her guardian does not wish to sell, as the girl may need a place to stay with her family after she marries. What were your needs sir, if I may ask?"

"I need a master suite for myself. I hope to find a witch that will accept me even if I can't father a child. I need a master suite for Harry and his wife. There need to be several extra bedrooms for visitors and or Harry's children, plenty of extra bathrooms, possibly one attached to each bedroom or pair of bedrooms. Kitchen, dining room, library, and potions lab are all needed. Extras would be appreciated but it will depend on costs."

"Minister, Lord Potter-Black already owns a property like you described. It also has three greenhouses, several outbuildings, plenty of empty space around it for flying, but it needs a lot of work. The wards will also fail before too long as no one has lived there for fifty years. One of our renovation teams and one of our warding teams can start on it almost immediately."

"Property Manager, if you can start immediately, and have it completed in three weeks I will give Gringott's a ten percent bonus as well as possible personal bonuses to the goblins involved. I just thought of something, could one of the outbuildings be converted into guard quarters for goblin guards? I will also need to talk to one of your security advisors."

"Minister, I guarantee that you will be happy with our work. I believe one of the out buildings will work as a guardroom and office with an entrance to underground living quarters. Axe Biter will be here in a few minutes. I will leave to get my crews started. In the meantime, refreshments will be brought."

Several minutes later, a vicious looking goblin walked in. He was dressed in armor that had seen hard use but was well cared for. The large ax carried on his back looked extremely sharp. "Minister Black, how can I help your security needs?"

"General Axe Biter, I would like to hire a security contingent to guard my new property. My godson and I have enemies, the dark lord's former servants as well as some older purebloods that will be fighting some of our new upcoming legislation this summer. Fortunately, most of the known death eaters are dead. We will hire as many as you recommend within reason. We also need to negotiate goblin guards at the prison. I hope that we can pass some legislation that will help interracial activities."

"I will get with Sharp Knife and examine the property. As far as the other is concerned, I will have to talk to Clan Chief Ragnok. Your predecessors have not treated us well. As they did not treat, you well. Fortunately you and your godson both have always treated us with respect." With that, the general left, leaving one of the messengers to take Sirius back to the lobby.

After a lot of the renovations were complete, Sirius and the elves got furnishings for the house so it was ready.